Folding and gluing apparatus



June 20, 1944. c, DEscH ET AL FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Filed Aug.12, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 20, 1944. DES H ETA 2,351,670

FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [if F.

June 20, 1944. c. DESCH ETAL FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-sheaf5 Filed Aug. 12, 1942 fiz venz ofs C/Zarles Dear/ and June 20, 1944.C(DESCH ETAL FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 4 and r'l o'nzani as Patented June 20, 1944 FOLDING ANDGLUING APPARATUS Charles Desch, Chicago, and Walter, Yomantas, EvergreenPark, Ill., assignors to Container Corporation of Americ poration ofDelaware a, Chicago, 111., a cor- Application August 12, 1942, serialNo. 454,540

This. invention relates to apparatus for folding and gluing paperboardcartons and the like, and more particularly to machines of the typeadapted to infold extensions on the side walls of tray blanks of foldingboxboard and to secure the same with adhesive While the blanks movecontinuously in series through the machine.

In some cases, however, each side Wall is of such structure that morethan one folding and gluing operation is required, and this wouldnormally require the use of two such machines and thereby increase thecost of the whole operation beyond the economical limit. Furthermore,the blank may be so arranged that one of the folding operations cannotbe performed on such a machine of the usual type. The arrangement of thepresent invention, on the other hand, is adapted to handle jobs of thissort in a single operation, and to do so by means of a novel, butnevertheless simple, modification of existing machines.

It is an object of the invention to .provide a folding and gluingmachine adapted to carry out a plurality of such, operations upon theside wall portions of a series of paperboard blanks within thespace andusing the equipment usually occupiedin handling a single such operation.Another object is to provide a novel and efficient glue machineespecially adapted to infold and glu in a single operation a pluralityof flaps or extensions on the side walls of paperboard blanks in whichsuch flaps or extensions overlap when so infolded. Other objects, usesand advantages of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description thereof and the drawings forming a part of thisspecification. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a simplified plan view of a folding and gluing machineaccording to the invention showing the arrangement of some of theoperative parts and, in dotted lines, the positions of a succession ofblanks similar to that of Fig. 8 passing therethrough;

"Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine of Fig. 1, showing in addition theglue pot, the folding belt and the driving mechanism for the specialfolding cams; x

Fig. Bis a simplified sectional View along line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 4 is a top view, omitting the glue-rolls and hold-down belt,showing the folding apparatus in detail;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in per-, spective illustratingthe first step in folding a side Wall extension of a blank like that ofFig. 8;

5 Claims. (01. 93-49) Fig. dis a view similar to thatof-Fig. 5, butillustrating the next folding step;' i

Fig. 7 illustrates the next stage in the folding operation; and i i Fig.8 shows a typical blank adapted to be handled in accordance with theinvention with one multi-ply side wall folded and glued as desired.

In order to bring out the various features of the invention in theclearest manner, it will be describedin connection with aparticular formof paperboard blank, althoughdt is also applicable to those havingdifferent configurations. This blank, as shown in Fig. 8, is adapted tobeset up into a tray, and is fully described in the copendingapplication ofLloyd Wynne and Earl C. Potter S. N. 381,504 filed March3', 1941.

Th bottom panel In is provided with side walls H and end walls l2 and tothese adjacent their ends along score lines l3 and I4, respectively, arehingedly joined side wall extensions .15 and end Wall extensions l6.Side walls I I also have hingedlyjoined to them along score lines I],which are parallel to but closer to panel Ill than are score lines [3,reinforcing flaps l8 formed from the material WhiCh would otherwise beincorporated in sidewalls H and; their extensions l5. Similarly,reinforcing fiaps l9 are hingedly joined toend wallsl 2 along scorelines 20.:

In setting up this blank into the form of a tray, the first operation isto fold inwardlyand glue flaps l8 to side walls II and to fold and glueextensions l5 in position overlyingbothof them. The lower of the sidewalls illustrated in Fig. 8 shows the structure as it then appears, andit will be seen that the side wall has a finished edge and-a depressedintermediate portion thereof which enhances the display value of thefinished tray. This is the operation which is adapted to be carried outon the machine of the present invention, and it is normally performed inthe plant of the, container manufacturer.

The remainder of the'setting-up operations normallyjtake place in theplant of the user, and consist in gluing fiaps I9 to. the inner surfacesof end walls l2, raising wallsv H and I2 to upright position with thesecuring flaps 2| and 22 on side walls l l and extensions|5,Mrespectively, folded behind end walls [2 with their ends adjacentthe ends of flaps. I9. Then extensions l6 are infolded and glued toflaps I9, 2| and 22 to hold the tray in set up condition. While theseoperations form no part. of the present invention, the above briefdescription will serve to point out the utility of the machine inperforming some of the essential steps in connection with this specificexample.

In the embodiment of the invention herein described, the operations offolding and gluing are simultaneously carried out on both side walls,and the mechanism for carrying forward a series of these particularblanks is entirely conventional, so that it has not been shown in greatdetail. Referring to. Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that asuccession'of tray blanks,which have been placed thereon by hand orpreferably by well-known automatic means, are carried by belt underroller 3|, which is synchronized therewith, so that the side walls llof. the blanks rest successively on. the endless conveyor chains 32traveling on sprockets 33, 34 and 35. Since sprockets "33' and thepulley over which belt 36; runs are one. common shaft 36 and are of thesame effective radius, belt 36 and chains 32 have the same linearvelocity. In order to insure accurate spacing of the blanks for thefollowing so-called timed gluing step, chains 32 are provided at regularintervals with lugs 31 which, as they advance, come in Y contact withthetrailing securing flaps 2! of the downwardly over sprockets 34, theleading portion thereof-isgripped-between an upper belt 38 travelingonpulleys 39, 46 and 4| and a lower belt42 on pulleys 43 and-44 Thesebelts are likewise driven by well-known means (not shown) so that theblanks continue to. move in a linear path at the same speed. Thisarrangement is best seen in Fig. 3. As the blanks pass under pulley 59,two bandsoi' adhesive 23and 24 are applied to the side wall extensionsl5 and the reinforcing flaps l8, respectively, and as shown in Fig. 8,on both sides of each blank. The adhesive is accurately placed by reasonof the synchronized relation of the parts as above described, and bymeans of a die 45 on each of the glue rolls 46, which are in turnmounted .on the same shaft 41 as is the pulley 39. The dies-45 aresupplied with glue from glue pot 48 by means of rollers 49 and 56. (Fig.2) in the conventional manner.

. The advancing blanks are then automatically folded in the desiredmanner. It will be observed that they pass immediately from the gluerolls 46 beneath a "pairof bars 5| (Fig. 4) supported from above bybrackets 52 which taper in the direction of the blankmotionand arespaced so that their outer edges substantiallyoverlie the side edges ofthe bottom panellll. Then the. extensions l5 pass beneath the guides.53, which are supported by means of bars 5i and supports 54, and whichact to hold side walls ll and side wall extensions l5 in horizontalposition while the reinforcing flaps I8 are being raised from the planeof the blank by rotating cams 55. The cams 55 are also synchronized tothe blank motion and are mounted on shafts 56 and driven from the shaft51 carrying pulley 43 through universal joints 58, shaft 59, sprockets60, chains 6| and sprockets 62 (Fig. 2). From Fig. 5,1 which bestillustrates this stage, it will be seen that cam55 raises the leadingedge of flap [8 so that uponcontinued motion of the blank, each flapv 18passes behind'a guide 63 and is thereby maintained in partially foldedposition. 7

Guides 63 are also supported on bars 5| and converge slightly as shownin Fig. 4 so that flaps H} are further folded to a. position preferablysomewhat beyond the vertical as the blankprogresses through the machine.In the meantime, 75

folding of side wall extensions l5 by means of the usual folding belts64 begins. It will be observed from Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that these foldingbelts are arranged to travel up around the pulleys 65 which areangularly disposed on each side of the machine, and to turn over beforepassing under rollers 66 and around pulleys 61. As belts 64 turn overthey also fold side wall extensions l5, side walls ll being held in theplane of the blank by means of guides 68 under which the outer portionsof walls I I pass and which are attached to guides 63. This is best seenin Figs. 4 and 6. Fig. '7 illustrates the appearance of an extension l5when the folding is somewhat more than half complete and shows how theflap I8 has been released from behind guide 63 and lies behind extension[5, so that it is thereafter completely folded with the latter under theaction of belt 64. The rest of the machine is conventional, and the sidewall structure of the trays is held in place by the spring-loadedrollers 66 under which belt 64 travels as the blanks progress.Thereafter the blanks pass under a pressure receiving arrangement whichholds them until the adhesive has set. It will be noted that thedrawings show few machine parts not absolutely necessary to anunderstanding of the invention and little supporting structure, butthese can readily be supplied by one skilled in the. art and have. beenomitted in the interest of clarity. Many modifications and alternativearrangements will likewise occur to those skilled in the art in thelight of this disclosure.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment thereof, it is not limited thereto, but only by the scope ofthe following claims. We claim: 7 1. In a machine of the class describedincluding means for continuously moving a'series of paper board blanksin a linear path, means for applying adhesive to selected lateral edgeportions. of each blank, and means forfolding said lateral edge portionsalong fold lines paral- -lel to said linear path .over upon said blank,the

spaced from said lateral edge and additional fold.

lines parallel to said linear path, prior to the. folding of said edgeportions, and means'for re taining said flaps in partially foldedcondition until said edge portions have been folded sufiiciently tooverlie said flaps, whereby both of said folding operations arecompleted simultaneously and said flaps and edge portions are caused toadhere in position overlying said blank andeach other. 1

2. In a machine for producing a multi-ply side wall on a plurality ofpaperboard blanks each having a side wall panel, a side wall extensionjoined thereto along a hinge line and a fiap formed from the material ofsaid panel and said extension joined to said panel along a 'score lineparallel to said hinge line including means for continuously moving saidblanks successively in a linear path, means for applying an adhesive toa predetermined portion of said extensions and means for folding saidextensions along said hinge lines over upon said side wall panels, the'com bination which comprises means acting on said blanks immediatelyfollowing said adhesiv'e-ap-- plying means for partially folding saidflaps along said fold lines, and means for retaining saidfiaps inpartially folded condition until said extensions have been foldedsufiiciently to overlie said flaps, whereby both of said foldingoperations are completed simultaneously.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said partial folding meansincludes a rotating cam synchronized to raise the leading edge of saidflaps as the blanks pass successively thereover and means for retainingsaid extensions in the plane of said blank during the partial foldingoperation.

4. In a machine for producing a multi-ply side wall on a plurality ofpaperboard tray blanks each having a side wall panel, a side Wallextension joined thereto along a pair of hinge lines adjacent the endsof said panel and a flap formed from the material of said panel and saidextension joined to said panel along a score line parallel to saidhing-e lines and adapted to be folded over against the inner surface ofsaid panel and in that position to underlie said extension when thelatter is also infolded, said machine including means for continuouslymoving an equally spaced series of said blanks along a path parallel tosaid hinge lines, means for applying an adhesive to a predeterminedportion of the extension and flap associated with each blank moving insaid path and means for infolding said extensions along said hinge linesupon said panels as said blanks continue to move along said path, theimprovement which comprises means acting on said blanks immediatelyfollowing said adhesive-applying means and while said blanks are inmotion for at least partially infolding said flaps along said fold linesprior to the infolding of said extensions.

5. The improvement according to claim 4 including synchronized means formoving said flaps from the plane of said blanks, means for holding saidextensions in the plane of said blanks during the action of saidsynchronized means, and subsequent guide means to continue the foldingof said flaps.

CHARLES DESCH. WALTER YOMANTAS.

